Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the questionnaire of olfactory disorders

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD). Patients and Methods: This prospective study was conducted between June 2018 and January 2019. Patients who presented to Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of chronic sinusitis and/or septum deviation completed the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center smell test. Forty patients (24 males, 16 females; mean age 42.3±13.7 years; range, 18 to 71 years) with olfactory disorders (anosmia, hyposmia) completed the QOD at the time of diagnosis and one day prior to surgery. Forty volunteers (control group) (22 males, 18 females; mean age 38.3±13.4 years; range, 18 to 65 years) without nasal pathology, olfactory dysfunction or a history of head trauma also completed the QOD. The results of the two tests were then compared. Results: The QOD-parosmia (QOD-P), QOD-statements of QoL (QOD-LQ), and QOD-visual analog scale (QOD-VAS) values were significantly higher in the study group (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant change in the QOD-P, QOD-LQ, QOD-sincerity, and QOD-VAS values of the patients with anosmia and hyposmia at the time of diagnosis compared with those one day prior to surgery. In all patients, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the QOD-P, QOD-LQ, and QOD-VAS was 0.719, 0.892, and 0.984, respectively, with relatively high internal consistency. Conclusion: We conclude that the Turkish version of the QOD is a reliable and valid instrument, particularly in patients with parosmia.